Paradise
by Darth Brando
Summary: Part 7 of Doctor Who: The Hunger Games Series. The Doctor said this was the happiest place in the Universe. He might be right, but even if he is, I see the one person who makes this the worst possible place to be. Lounging on a bench and looking manically happy is Cuing.
1. Prologue 1

**The Dalek Emperor's ship: Heart of the Seriphia Galaxy**

"Alert! Intruder is detected!" A red Dalek screeches as an alarm blares throughout the Dalek Emperor's ship.

"Locate and exterminate!" Another red Dalek replies.

"Exterminate!" the others chant. "Exterminate!"

"Intruder is heading to the Emperor's position," A blue Dalek says. "All Daleks move to intercept. Exterminate!"

Hundreds of Daleks move, placing themselves between the intruder and their Emperor. As they fall into ranks, a short man with raven hair steps around the corner.

"Exterminate!" the Daleks screech. They all point their gun-sticks at the man who continues to approach without showing any fear or hesitation. There's a round of clicking sounds, but nothing happens.

"Weapons are non-functional!" a white Dalek screeches.

"Of course," the man replies. He stands a few feet away from the front row of Daleks. He bounces on the balls of his feet and crosses his arms. He grins at the Daleks. "I wouldn't come in here without some insurance."

"Identify yourself!" the white Dalek demands.

The man spreads his arms and gives a mocking bow. "The Beloved Ken Cuing, at your service," he stands up again. "Though your Emperor likely knows me by my real name. If he's clever enough to figure it out. It has been awhile since we last met. I do hope he hasn't forgotten that I saved him during the Time War."

"Daleks stand aside_,_" growls the Dalek Emperor. The rows of Daleks fall to the side, giving Cuing a clear path to the Emperor. The Daleks silently keep their focus on Cuing as he makes his way through them. Cuing stops at the edge of the platform the Dalek Emperor rests on. Its eyestalk moves closer to Cuing. "_You,_" the Emperor growls.

"And he _does _remember me!" Cuing proclaims, clapping his hands together.

"State your purpose," the Emperor orders.

"I'm here to help both of us," Cuing says. "I want you to help me kill the Doctor."

"All attempts to exterminate the Doctor have been . . . unsuccessful," the Emperor says. "Continued attempts would be futile."

"That's not very Dalek-like," Cuing pouts. "Don't tell me the scourge of the Universe are afraid of one man."

"Daleks do not fear," the Emperor growls threateningly.

"Of course not," Cuing replies. "Fortunately for you, I have an infallible plan."

"Explain," the Emperor orders.

"Who will the Doctor do anything for?" Cuing turns in a circle, addressing the assembled Daleks. "Who will he save, regardless of the cost?"

The Daleks watch in silence, none of them answering.

"His companions," Cuing finishes. "We have to kill his companions, and he will die attempting to save them.

"How can we capture the companions?" the Emperor demands. "They are with the Doctor and we cannot draw near him without him noticing."

"There's no need to go to the companions," Cuing says with a sly grin. "They will willingly come to you."

* * *

**Hey all,**

**I've had this done for a couple days, so I decided I might as well get it up. Just FYI though, this "episode" will have TWO prologues. **

** 0.o **

**Mind. Blown.**

**Anyway, I'll try to have the second prologue up later this week and the actual first chapter next week.**


	2. Prologue 2

**November 18, 1963**

**Bay Lake, Florida**

"What _is _that?" the man asks, staring at the swirling sphere. Light of every color shines from it, giving everything around it the appearance of being seen through a rainbow.

His companion frowns. "I don't know," he says. "I've never seen anything like it."

The first man hesitantly reaches up to touch the sphere. Instead of coming into contact with a hard surface, his hand passes through it. He immediately pulls his hand back out and examines it. "Fascinating," he says. Without consulting his companion, he steps into the sphere.

Moments later, he steps back out in a different set of clothes. He looks at his companion in confusion. "You're still here?"

"You just stepped into the sphere," his companion says nervously.

The man turns back to the sphere. "Remarkable. Simply remarkable. I wouldn't have believed it to be possible if I hadn't seen it myself."

"What?"

"Time travel," the man remarks. "I've been gone for a week, yet you say it's only been moments. Oh, the things I've seen. Most remarkable. And my guide was rather hospitable."

"Your . . . guide?"

"He called himself the Beloved Ken Cuing. Fascinating man. From the future actually." The man gestures to the sphere. "He told me that this is a bridge to _anywhere_ in time and space. Can you imagine? Simply stepping into any point in the past or future, on any planet in the Universe, as if walking out the front door? I know where I'm going to build my new park. Here, on this site. People will come from all over the world to see the wonders of the future and mysteries of the past!"

"Walt, I must protest!" the companion exclaims. "This thing, this . . . bridge as you call it, it's too dangerous to let anyone have access too! Can you imagine what people will do with it? What's the point in creating anything new if you can go to the future and bring it back? Or what if someone goes back in time and changes the course of history? Sir, this thing must be destroyed, or at the very least hidden so no one can use it.

Walt waves his companions objections away. "People are better than you think, Roy. They'll be responsible with it."

Roy's frown deepens. "I'm not asking you as a co-founder. I'm asking you as a brother. Hide this thing or destroy it. No good can come of it."

"I know what I'll call it," Walt says, ignoring Roy. "Walt Disney's Worlds. Where people can travel throughout the Universe, to every world in every time. Can you imagine how it will better humanity?"

"At least consider what I'm saying," Roy pleads. "Imagine the problems this could cause!"

Walt waves his brother's protest off. "I've made up my mind Roy. There's no room for argument and that's final."

Roy opens his mouth to protest again, but Walt interrupts. "I said, there's no room for argument."

"Very well," Roy replies darkly. "But remember this, little brother. Bridges go both ways."


	3. Fancy Meeting You Here

**Walt Disney World – Magic Kingdom, Florida**

**May 8, 2016**

* * *

I blink as I step into the sunlight. When my eyes adjust, they're assaulted by a riot of colors while my ears are bombarded by a plethora of sounds. There's far too much to take in here, but it doesn't stop me from trying.

More than anything, this place reminds me of the Capitol. Except the people aren't dressed as wildly. But a lot of them are wearing bizarre hats that wouldn't be out of place in the Capitol. The hats come in different colors, but they all have the same design. A piece that covers the head with two large circles protruding from it, almost like giant ears. I can't even begin to guess at their function. Maybe they're a cultural thing or a way of distinguishing where they come from or their roles. As with everything else I don't understand, I'm sure the Doctor will explain it, albeit in a rambling roundabout way.

"What is this place?" Peeta asks as he moves next to me.

"And when?" I add.

"Disneyworld!" the Doctor proclaims, bounding out of the TARDIS. "Happiest place on Earth! At least that's what they claim. Based on clothing, this is early twenty first century. This is about five or six hundred years before your time. I think. I could be wrong. I've been wrong before. Not often, mind you. Anyway, we're in America which becomes Panem. Well, not exactly. There's really more of a division with you lot in the north and what's left of them in the south and west. But that's not important."

"What happened?" I ask, curious about the true origins of Panem.

"Oh, the usual. Political and economic divisions became greater and greater. Plus the climate changed and food started running out. Civil war broke out, the nation fell apart and what was left either fled south or west or became Panem." The Doctor answers.

What he's said isn't much different than what we were taught in school. Except the bit about economic division. That's a new tidbit of information. "Is this a city?" I ask.

"No," says the Doctor. "It's an amusement park. People come here to ride rides, eat, and otherwise enjoy themselves."

That sounds more like something they would do in the Capitol. My thoughts must show in my expression because Peeta piques up. "This isn't like the Capitol, is it?"

The Doctor waves the suggestion away. "Not at all. It's a bit wasteful, but they're not sending children to die for entertainment. Actually, nothing dies. Except the mosquitoes. But nobody feels sorry for them. Anyway, I have a few things for you," he says, reaching into his jacket.

He pulls out four small, plastic cards and hands one of each to us. "Debit card, and Fast Pass cards. The debit cards have an unlimited amount of money on them so don't worry about prices, no matter how exorbitant they are. The Fast Passes let you skip the lines. It's really quite useful, because I hate waiting in lines. It's quite boring. Though I did meet Ben Franklin while in line once. Lovely fellow. A bit odd though. The cleverest people usually are."

Hesitantly, I take the proffered cards. "Is this how people buy things?" I ask. It's a strange concept that a piece of plastic holds money on it. I wonder if it comes out or if the value is deducted from the card. And what happens if it runs out? I have a lot of questions, but if I ask the Doctor, we'll be here all day. He's not very good at answering questions quickly.

"Well, most people use credit cards," The Doctor responds. "But it's hard to get one while travelling through time. I kept missing the bills by a couple millenia. You should have seen what the interest rates did. Not important. You use the debit cards to buy whatever you want. Like I said, they have unlimited money, so don't worry about cost." He reaches into his jacket again. This time, he pulls out a silver cylinder, about the size of a pen. He proffers it to me.

"You asked for a Sonic Screwdriver," he adds. "This is an old one I had laying around from a very long time ago. Doesn't have as many features as mine, but it should do most of the basic stuff. Just don't lose it. I can only imagine the disaster that would follow if the wrong person were to get ahold of it."

"Thanks," I say, taking the screwdriver. I hold it up to examine it more closely. It's about the size of a pen and is solid silver except the black button on the side and the red crystal on the tip. I press the button and the screwdriver makes a whirring sound slightly higher pitched than the Doctor's. I point it at a light, which comes on. Satisfied my sonic screwdriver seems to work, I tuck it into my pocket.

The Doctor reaches into his jacket again. "One last thing," he says, pulling two necklaces out. "TARDIS keys."

As I take a necklace, I notice the key dangling from it. I examine it, but it seems like an ordinary key. It's strange to think that this simple key unlocks the machine that can take us anywhere in time and space. The Doctor must truly trust us to give us these keys. I feel slightly guilty that Peeta and I have been planning on stealing the TARDIS to save my father and sister. But now that I have the key, I feel like there's been a shift in our relationship with the Doctor. Maybe now, he will help if I asked.

The Doctor holds up a finger. "One more thing," he steps back into the TARDIS for a moment. When he steps back out, he holds a pair of the bizarre hats I noticed others wearing. Before either of us can protest, he's placed the hats on our heads.

"There," he says jovially. "Now you look like proper tourists."

I glance at Peeta's hat. His, and probably mine, has the TARDIS design on it. Peeta looks ridiculous in the hat, and I have to hold back a laugh knowing I probably look equally ridiculous. I decide I that I'll throw it away the first chance I get.

"Erm. . . thanks." Peeta mumbles looking clearly uncomfortable.

"You're welcome," the Doctor says, looking pleased. "Let's go. Lots to do."

I do my best to keep a frown from forming on my face. I was hoping the Doctor would leave me and Peeta on our own for once. "You're coming with us?" I ask as neutrally as possible.

"Well, of course," the Doctor answers, looking slightly baffled by my question. "_Someone _has to correct the fairy tales you lot keep getting wrong."

"And you're the one to do it?" A woman's voice calls out. I turn to the source. Approaching us is a woman unlike anyone I've never seen. It's not her appearance. She looks normal enough that I wouldn't pick her out of a crowd. It's more the way she carries herself, as if she owns everything she sees. As if nothing can challenge her. I get the sense that she has supreme confidence in herself and her abilities. If she had been in the Games, I would immediately mark her as the most dangerous tribute.

I glance to the Doctor trying to judge his reaction to learn something about this woman. His expression is a bizarre combination of embarrassed and pleased. But there's something else there I can't identify. He adjusts his bowtie before smoothing down his hair before approaching the woman. "Fancy meeting you here." He says.

"Did you forget?" the woman purrs.

"Forget what? the Doctor asks, looking baffled.

"It's our anniversary dear," the woman replies chidingly.

"That's not for another . . ." the Doctor trails off as he looks at his watch. "Oh." He looks embarrassed as he puts his arm down. "Erm. . . have you met these two yet?" He gestures to us.

"Of course I have," she says, walking to us. "Peeta and Katniss Mellark."

"We've never met you before," I protest. "How do you know us if we've never met?"

"She's a time-traveler too," the Doctor replies. "We keep meeting in the wrong order. Her past is my future and vice-versa. But I'm forgetting my manners. Katniss, Peeta, this is Professor River Song."

"You know what's going to happen to us?" Peeta asks.

River gives a short laugh. "Of course I do."

"What happens?" I ask.

"Spoilers," River says with an enigmatic grin. "but I will say this; there are some interesting things in your future."

"So it will happen no matter what we do?" I ask. I hate the idea that I don't have a choice in what happens, but instead am predestined.

"Of course not," River answers. "Your future can change. Just because it has happened doesn't mean it will."

"But if our future changes, doesn't that make your past change?" Peeta asks.

"Of course," River replies. "But don't ask me how it works. I hate to admit it, but he's the expert." She inclines her head towards the Doctor.

"Well, it's nice to know I still know some things you don't," the Doctor replies smugly.

"Trust me sweetie, there are still a few things I can teach _you_," River purrs.

"Like what?" The Doctor asks.

River whispers something in his ear. "Oh," he says. "_Oh._ Right then," he says as River pulls away. I can't help but notice his face is flushed with embarrassment. But a sheepish grin still crosses his face. "Katniss, Peeta, have fun. If you need anything, come back to the TARDIS." He pauses for a second as he glances at River. "On second thought, don't. It might be occupied. Come along then dear. Magic Kingdom always was one of my favorite places."

"We can do this one later," River purrs. "We should start in Animal Kingdom. It's perfect for what I have in mind."

"Right, you two have fun," the Doctor says as River takes his arm and starts leading him away. "And stay out of trouble!" he calls out before they're lost in the crowd.


	4. The Perfect Day

**Hey all,**

**So maybe sending our trio to Disneyworld wasn't the best idea. Not because it's a bad thing, but because to get into the right mood, I've been listening to a lot of Disney soundtracks. Of course, one cannot do that without wanting to go watch the movies. And, of course, once I start doing that, I get all nostalgic and have gone looking for all the stuff I watched as a kid. Of course then, I couldn't resist throwing in a couple cameos. So look out for them! (Most of them will be from TV shows or movies that were on in the 90's. That was good stuff. Not like this crap kids watch today.)**

**Also, I'll start adding a complete list of references in this entire series on my profile wall thing. (Whatever it is you kids call it these days). There are a lot of them, so if anyone can find ALL of them, he or she will get a shout-out in a future chapter. Or maybe an appearance in a chapter. I really haven't decided yet. I don't know how interested all of you would be. Anyway, it includes cultural, historical, scientific, etc. references. Throwing out a name, and stuff mentioned that ties directly to either the Hunger Games or Doctor Who doesn't count. For example, the one reference no one will get because it was something my cousin did while we were at Disneyworld, is the bit about a space T-Rex. Don't ask, it's a long story involving a trampoline, a cranky badger, and a tractor. Anyway, if you do decide to go looking, then good luck.**

**Also, also, I changed my username to Darth Brando. It's because it's the username I'm making for everything else I do. So if you ever see a Darth Brando on something, that's probably me.**

**Anyway, without further ado,**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

As the Doctor and River disappear into the crowd, Peeta turns to me. "So what should we do?"

I frown. Not having the Doctor around is nice, but at the same time there's no one to be our guide. But there might be a map or someone who can show us what's here. "Let's find a map," I say. "Assuming they have one."

I make sure to take note of where the TARDIS is. It's next to something called the 'Carousel of Progress'. I try to memorize what the building looks like, just in case we have to come back in a hurry. Satisfied I know what it looks like, Peeta and I link arms and go in search of a map.

It doesn't take us very long to find one. There's a small stand shaped like a rocket with plenty of maps attached to it. I pull one out and we study the map for a minute. "The TARDIS is here," I say, pointing at the carousel. "And we're here, I think." I point at the rocket on the map.

"That puts us in Tomorrowland," Peeta replies.

"Ironic, considering there isn't much of a future for this place," I reply darkly.

"Then we should enjoy it while we can," Peeta says. "Where do you want to start?"

I frown as I look over the map. There's a lot to do and I don't know where to start. And there's not really a clear explanation of what's what. It might make more sense if we were from this time, but since we aren't we'll just have to guess. Unsure of what's what, I look up to see what's around. I immediately notice the small metal mountain. I raise my arm and point at it. "That looks promising," I say.

We push through the crowd until we get to the entrance of the mountain. Though it isn't a mountain so much as a large, metal hill. I glance at the two entrances that sit next to each other. One says "Fast Pass" and has no people. The other has a huge line underneath a digital readout. _Wait time 180 Minutes. _

"He wasn't kidding about the lines," Peeta remarks. "That's almost two hours."

I pull out the FastPasses the Doctor gave us. "Good thing the Doctor gave us these then."

Peeta and I move to the sign that reads "Fast Pass". We give our passes to the woman standing there. She looks at it then hands it back to me. "Have fun!" she says overly energetically as Peeta and I step inside.

"She's happy," I comment grumpily as we step inside.

Peeta laughs. "Well, the Doctor _did _say this was the 'happiest place in the Universe.'"

As we get to the bottom of the stairs, I freeze. The hallway looks eerily similar to the hallways of Odyssey. I half expect to see an Angel. Fortunately, there are none and the people in the other line aren't screaming and running for their lives which I take to be a good sign.

Peeta puts a warm hand on my shoulder. When he speaks, it's clear he knows what I'm thinking. "We beat them Katniss. They aren't here."

"I know," I say quietly. "But I can't help but feel they're just around a corner or hidden in an alcove."

"We can go back if you want," Peeta offers.

I shake my head. "No. It's just a hallway," I say with more confidence than I feel. I take a deep breath and force myself to continue down the winding hallway. Soon I can hear something roaring and people screaming and I hesitate again.

"It's okay," Peeta says. "The Doctor wouldn't leave us here if there was something dangerous."

"Since when have we gone anywhere that isn't dangerous?" I grumble. "Everywhere we go we've ended up running for our lives."

"You're right," Peeta says. "Who is it I'm thinking of?"

"I don't know," I comment dryly. "I can't really think of any point when we haven't had to run for our lives. Except for the last five years."

We continue through the hallway, though I go in front so I have a chance to protect Peeta from any possible danger. Of course considering most of the monsters we've run into, I wouldn't offer much protection. Still, if there's something ahead, I might be able to stop it for a second. And that might be enough to save Peeta's life.

Eventually, the hallway opens into a large open room. To my right and left, I see bizarrely shaped cars. Each sits six people in a line. The cars move on a track, coming in empty. People clamber in before the cars roll into a dark tunnel where I lose sight of them.

With my experiences with the Angels, I'm not fond of dark places. I finger the sonic screwdriver the Doctor gave me, seriously considering turning the lights on. But I reject the idea. The darkness seems to be part of the appeal of this place, and if I'm going to experience it, I want to experience it right.

In only a few minutes, it's our turn to climb into the cars. I don't resist when a bar is placed over my lap. My grip on it is so tight that my arms start to ache. I consider asking to get off, but the car rolls out of the station and into a dark tunnel.

Too late now.

I keep my death grip on the bar as the car moves into the darkness. I start as a loud whooping sound, almost like an alarm, blares all around us. Square, blue lights flash as we move through the tunnel. Before I have time to think about what it could be, we whip around a corner and I'm blinded by a flash of light.

There's a rattling sound and I feel gravity pulling me back into the seat as the car climbs. To my left, another car climbs with us. The people in the other car call out to the people in ours, laughing and jeering. I ignore them, but behind me Peeta laughs and calls back.

At least one of us is having fun.

All too quickly, we reach the top. We go down a short drop and move slowly into a bend. _This isn't too bad. _I think.

That's when we really drop. I let out an involuntary shriek as we hurtle through the darkness. The only light comes from small white lights that look vaguely like stars. After a moment, when I realize that we aren't going to crash or plummet to our deaths, I start to relax and have fun.

From somewhere in the darkness I hear someone yelling. "Roh-no! Space T-rex! Go faster, I'm too young to die!"

"It doesn't go faster!" Someone yells back.

"Ahhhh!" The first person screams overly-dramatically. I can't hear them anymore as a loud grinding roar emanates from below us. The car slows suddenly, and for a moment, as we round another corner and enter a different station than the one we went in on. An attendant helps us out of the car before it rolls off into the darkness.

"Well that was . . . fun," I reluctantly admit.

"Again?" Peeta asks. His face is flushed with excitement.

"Again," I say.

We go on it three times before we start exploring and going on every ride we encounter, some of them more than once. I particularly enjoy one where I get to shoot at targets. I easily beat Peeta's score. Others must be based on stories neither of us are familiar with, though some do seem vaguely different if different in details.

We also stop at several shops and stalls throughout the day. I don't understand most of the stuff for sale though there are some things that wouldn't look out of place in the Capitol. I don't buy anything, but Peeta stops at a small stand selling glass figurines. "Why don't you go wait in line for the Pirate ride? I just have one thing I need to get."

"Alright," I say, slightly confused. But I suspect he wants whatever he's getting to be a surprise. So I move towards the entrance and wait for Peeta. After a few minutes, he pushes through the crowd and stands in front of me. He reaches into the bag he carries, and pulls out a bouquet of flowers. Included is a small, glass rose.

"I'll love you until the last one withers," he says with a grin.

I kiss his cheek and hug him. "Thank you." I say. Because the glass rose really is quite beautiful. Before we go anywhere else, I tuck the rose into a small box filled with foam to keep it from being damaged. Where did you get the flowers?"

He seems slightly embarrassed as he points to a nearby flowerbed. "From there. I only took a couple so it didn't look like anything's missing."

"Are you allowed to do that?"

"Probably not."

"Either way, they're lovely," I say, taking another whiff of the flowers.

The rest day goes by in a blur. As the sun is sets, Peeta and I find a vacant bench to sit on. I lay down with my head on his lap and he runs his fingers through my hair while I admire the glass rose. After a few minutes of silence, Peeta speaks up. "I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, forever."

"Okay," I say, feeling content to just stay here.

"I just wish we didn't have to go back," Peeta says remorsefully.

Peeta's comment sparks an old memory. "We could do it, you know," I reply, echoing the words Gale said to me so long ago. Or will say to me a long time from now. I stop thinking about how that works before it gives me a headache.

Peeta stops running his hands through my hair. "What?"

I realize, this is the happiest and most peaceful I've felt in a long time. For once, I managed to completely forget the nightmares that always haunt me. "Stay here and not go back. Forget any of it ever happened. We could make a new life here."

Peeta frowns as he looks down at me. "Everything we experienced made us who we are. If we forget, then who are we?"

"Peeta," I start. But he places a finger on my lips before I can continue.

"We can't stay here Katniss. We don't belong here."

As he says the words, I know he's right. The day may have been perfect, but I feel out of place here. Like this is a large puzzle and I'm a piece that never will fit because I'm from a different puzzle. Besides, who knows what we might change if we stay? "You're right," I say, sitting up. "We don't belong here." I glance around one more time wishing, but knowing I can't, stay here. "We should head back to the TARDIS."

Peeta stands and we make our way through the crowd towards the TARDIS. There's a break in the crowd that Peeta and I step into. I glance at the bench with a single occupant and freeze.

"What's wrong?" Peeta asks. But I don't answer because all of my attention is on the figure sitting on the bench. Peeta glances at the bench too and I feel him stiffen in alarm.

The Doctor said this was the happiest place in the Universe. He might be right, but even if he is, I see the one person that could make it horrible. Lounging on a bench and looking manically happy is Cuing.

"Hello Mellarks," he says with a jovial wave. "Miss me?"


	5. Cuing!

"Hello Mellarks!" Cuing says jovially.

I'm frozen, waiting for Cuing to make the first move. Instead, he leans back in the bench even more. "Fancy meeting you here," says Peeta as he slowly moves between me and Cuing. "It's quite a coincidence."

"Nothing I do is ever coincidence," Cuing replies. He doesn't clarify, but instead takes a sip from the drink he holds in his hand. He lowers it before gesturing to the cup. "Earth drinks are too sugary. Honestly, I don't understand the appeal. Your species is so strange."

"What do you want?" I demand, feeling a combination of fear and anger boiling up inside me. We spent months looking for Cuing without any success. Then, when it suits him, he has no trouble finding us.

Cuing doesn't answer as a young woman, about my age, with her blonde hair tied in two long braids dashes past. She squawks as she trips over Cuing's outstretched feet. For a moment, her arms flap like a bird's wings before she and tumbles to the ground. A tall man with raven hair, similar in style and color to Cuing's, pushes out of the crowd to help her to her feet. "Careful meatball head," he laughs.

"I _was _being careful," she protests. She turns to Cuing. "Sorry." She says, clearly embarrassed.

I see a flicker of recognition in Cuing's eyes. But it passes quickly and he grins at the girl. "No problem. Just be more careful next time."

"Her, more careful?" the man asks jokingly. "She's a walking disaster."

"Oooh, you're so mean sometimes," the girl grumbles as the two of them walk away. "Sometimes I'm not sure why I married you Darian."

Cuing's attention snaps back to us. "It's about your father," he says calmly. "He says hello. Interesting person. Not a terrible singer for a human either. Pity he had to die."

I have a sensation of an icy hand crushing my chest. I can't breathe. I can't even move. I can only stare, dumbfounded, as my mind attempts to process Cuing's words. Initially, I try to pass it off as Cuing trying to scare me. Then I remind myself he can travel through time too. Suddenly, I feel another burst of rage. "If you even _think _about hurting him-"

"What?" Cuing interrupts. A smug grin spreads across his face. "What could an insignificant human like you do to me?"

Before I can do something stupid, like attack Cuing, Peeta puts a restraining hand on my shoulder. "What do you want?" he asks, calmly.

In my rage-filled mind, one thought connects with another and I realize I know what Cuing is up to. "It's a trap!" I exclaim. "He wants us to go back to District 12, so he can . . . I don't know, but he has something planned."

Cuing sighs as if we've disappointed him somehow. "If I really wanted to capture you, do you really think I would have to go through such elaborate measures?"

He has a point. From what I've seen of him, he could probably have captured us at any point during the day. Then another thought dawns on me. "We're not the target," I blurt out. "We're the bait."

Cuing just laughs. "I don't need _you _for bait. I can put any human in danger and the Doctor will come running to save them. No, I don't need you at all."

I try to take another step towards Cuing, but Peeta keeps holding me back. I'm glad he's here, or I would probably have attacked Cuing by now. "Then what are you after?" I demand, struggling against Peeta. "I want to know the score."

Cuing frowns for a moment. "I'm here to bring you a warning. You cannot attempt to save your father. He must die in the mines of District 12."

For a moment I'm caught off-guard. I was expecting him to threaten us or warn us about travelling with the Doctor. But this is so unexpected that I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me. For several moments, I can only gape at Cuing. Slowly, my disbelief is replaced by anger. "Or what?" I demand.

Cuing speaks in a patronizing tone. "Or you'll blow an irreparable hole in the side of the Universe. Anyone and anything caught in it will be destroyed."

I spit out my reply so Cuing can't misunderstand. "You're lying. I will save my father if it's the last thing I do. I'm not afraid of your meaningless threats."

Cuing stands. It would be almost impressive if he were taller, but as it is, he's barely taller than me. "So be it. But the destruction of everything you hold dear will be your own fault. Don't say I didn't warn you." He starts to walk away, but pauses and turns back to us. "Oh, and do enjoy the fireworks show. It's to_ die _for." He turns and, before Peeta or I can stop him, disappears into the crowd.


	6. The Darkest Night

**Hey all,**

**Just letting you know the trailer for Catching Fire is up on Youtube. And (in case you haven't heard) David Tennant and Billie Piper confirmed they would come back for the Doctor Who 50****th**** Anniversary. It's going to be a great year. :D**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

Almost as soon as Cuing has disappeared, a voice booms over the loudspeaker, announcing the fireworks will start in ten minutes.

_We have to tell the Doctor_. Is my first thought. But we have no way of contacting him. And even if we did, there's no way he could get here in time. "We have to figure out what Cuing meant. Whatever he's referring to is bound to be deadly." I say.

"What about contacting the Doctor?" Peeta asks.

I shake my head. "We don't have any way too, and even if we did, he won't have enough time to get here. We're on our own."

"What do we do?"

I pull my screwdriver from my pocket, wishing I had my bow and quiver too. Of course, they've been mostly useless against most of the beings we've met. Still, having them makes me feel at least somewhat in charge of the situation. But I do have my new sonic screwdriver which really might work. "Look for non-earth technology maybe. It's about the only thing we can do."

I activate my screwdriver, concentrating on finding non-earth technology. I point it in front of me, slowly turning in a circle. But I don't notice any difference in the whirring.

"Anything?" Peeta asks.

I shake my head. "Either this screwdriver can't detect it, or it isn't here." As soon as I say the words, I have a realization. "A bridge!" I blurt out.

"A bridge? You think there's one here?" Peeta asks.

"It would make sense," I say. "Cuing has always been one step ahead of us, and he escaped the parallel through a bridge. Maybe he used one to get here."

"It's worth a try. But hurry, I think we're getting close to the firework show." Peeta says.

I point the screwdriver in front of me, this time concentrating on finding the bridge. As I turn, the sonic whirs louder. I keep turning, and it gets quieter. After several seconds of experimenting, I think I know where the bridge is. "This way." I say, pushing through the crowd.

Once we get to the circle in front of the giant white castle with the TARDIS blue roofs, I realize that we have no chance of getting to the bridge. Packed in the circle are thousands of people. They're packed so tightly that most of them stand shoulder to shoulder. Pushing through them will be impossible in the little time we have.

"We'll have to go around," Peeta says grimly. When I don't respond, Peeta says it again. "Katniss?"

But I don't answer, because I'm trying to pinpoint where the bridge is. It takes a moment and when I'm sure I know where it is, I feel dread. "We can't go around," I say.

"Why not?" Peeta asks.

I point to the white and blue castle. "The bridge is in there."

Peeta glances at the assembled crowd. "Oh." he says forlornly.

Another announcement blares over the intercoms, announcing that the fireworks will begin in a few moments. I rack my brains, trying to think of some kind of plan. But without any idea of what's coming, I have no idea what to do about it. And when the first few fireworks fire off, I know we're almost out of time.

I take a deep breath and grit my teeth before grabbing Peeta's hand. "Let's go," I say, forcing my way through the crowd. We get a few dirty looks, but most people are fixated on the show. We make about halfway across the plaza before the finale begins. Hundreds of fireworks go off, exploding like colorful bombs in the sky. Smoke from them quickly envelops the castle, making it impossible to see it.

From within the smoke, there's a shimmer of blue light. As the smoke clears, I can make out six shapes. They're still wreathed in smoke, so it's impossible to make out details, but I can see them moving. Suddenly, there's a breeze and the smoke clears away. Floating in front of the castle are six identical machines. I have a sinking feeling that whatever these things are, they're what Cuing was referring to.

Whatever they are, they're bound to be deadly.

As the last bits of smoke clear, I can make out the details of the machines. The lower part is covered in domes. They have trimming around the bottom, and the base has a large blue circle. The middle has what looks like a plunger protruding from one side and what looks like a hollow rod with pipes on the other. The "head" is a dome with two lights on top. Protruding from the dome is a single rod that ends in a bulge. At the middle of the bulge is what looks like an eye of some sort. All of the machines are identical in design. The only difference between them is the color. One is white, two are blue, one is red, and two are yellow.

"What is that?" Peeta asks.

"Nothing good," I say warily, wishing I had my bow. We might be able to get to the TARDIS where my bow is, but getting through the crowd will take several minutes. I'm considering it when one of the machines speaks.

It speaks in a harsh, grating, mechanical voice, enunciating harshly. With each syllable, the two lights on the top of its dome flash. "The companions of the Doctor will step forward. We are the Daleks, and you will obey. Obey!"

Neither Peeta nor I make a move towards the Daleks. We're smart enough to recognize a trap when we see one. And as long as we're in the crowd, they have no way of distinguishing us. But something is nagging at me. Cuing is too clever to overlook such an obvious flaw. Then again, I could be overestimating him just because he clearly isn't human.

After a moment, the Dalek that spoke speaks again. "Companions of the Doctor will step forward! Obey or be exterminated!"

"How can they exterminate us if they can't find us?" I grumble.

My answer comes several seconds later. "Exterminate!" one of the Daleks shrieks. The rest of them take up the cry as they swoop over the crowd.

Blue bolts fly from the hollow rods attached to the Daleks. The bolts aren't very large, but pack tremendous power because they explode with incredible force when they strike anything, sending people and rubble twenty feet into the air. Curiously, when the bolts strike people, there isn't an explosion. Instead, the victim will be surrounded by a halo of bluish-green light and the skeleton can be seen for a brief moment. The cheers of the crowd turn to screams as they realize that the blue bolts are deadly. The crowd stampedes towards the exit, but the Daleks fly over the crowd, blasting at random, as they move to block the exit off. Somewhere nearby, I hear a child calling for some people named Cosmo and Wanda. But the child's voice falls silent after the next explosion.

I stand horrified at the indiscriminate destruction of the Daleks. My gut twists in guilt and self-loathing that this destruction is being brought about by me. Once again, complete strangers are dying for me. I shove through the crowd, moving towards the statue of the man at the center of the circle. I stumble over something, and look down to see the still body of a child, killed by the Daleks. I feel a tightness in my throat.

I feel Peeta's hand on my shoulder. "Katniss, we have to take cover." He says gently, but insistently.

But I can't move because I'm transfixed by the child's neon green shirt.

"Katniss!" Peeta says more insistently. "We've got to move." Without waiting for me to respond, he drags me away from the circle and towards the cluster of buildings near the exit. He's talking about taking shelter, but I'm not listening, because I'm watching the Daleks as they fly over the buildings, blasting them into rubble and flaming ruins.

People scream as they die. Some of them are lucky and die in the immediate blast. Others are not so fortunate, being trapped under rubble, or catching fire and burning to death. And I hate myself for not being able to do anything but stand and watch the horror unfold around us.

At that moment, one of the Daleks, a white one, flies over us. It does a quick 180 and comes back at us. Before it can open fire, I wave my arms at it. "We're the Doctor's companions!" I shout at it. At first, I think it didn't hear me, but it lands in front of us. It regards us with its eye for a moment. It's the first time I get a good look at the eye. It isn't just orange, but a sickly yellowish-orange. At the center is a pupil that looks like a goat's.

"You are companions of the Doctor?" The Dalek growls. "Confirm! Confirm!"

"Yes, we're travelling with the Doctor!" I snap back. "Now please, stop killing these people."

The Dalek remains silent for a moment. "Send in the extermination force." It growls.

"What extermination force?" I ask, confused.

But the Dalek doesn't answer. It doesn't have too. Several seconds after its order, a couple dozen Daleks swarm out of the castle. As soon as they're clear, they start spreading out and opening fire. Time seems to slow as the Daleks rain death and destruction on the people below. The night becomes nightmarish, with the blue flashes, the roar of explosions, the screams of the dying and the chants of "Exterminate!" from the Daleks.

I fall to my knees in front of the white Dalek. "Please! Don't do this! These people are innocent, please just leave them alone, we'll come with you and we won't fight! Just leave them alone, please!" I beg.

The Dalek turns its attention to me. "Daleks do not obey humans." It growls.

Before it can continue, another Dalek, this one a dark blue, flies to the white one. "Alert!" the newcomer shrieks. "The Doctor is detected!

"Return to the flagship! Return!" The white Dalek orders.

The Daleks quickly form into ranks around us. The white one turns back to us. "You will come with us, or you will be exterminated." It growls.

With no other choice, Peeta and I follow the Daleks into the castle. I keep hoping the Doctor will find a way to get us out of this, but if he sees the destruction, he may assume we're dead. Until we see him, I have to assume we're on our own to get out of this. I finger my sonic screwdriver, making sure it's still in my pocket, but not pulling it out. The Daleks would probably take it and destroy it.

So, for the moment, I take Peeta's hand as we follow the Daleks through the castle. They take us to a room in the basement that it looks like they had to blow their way out of. A glance at the rubble shows there isn't a door. So, whatever this room is, it was sealed, and not meant to be found.

But it's what's at the center of the room that catches my attention. It's a large sphere that shifts color, throwing ever-shifting light onto the walls. This must be the bridge then. But it's so unlike the other bridges I've seen, I'm not sure that's it. But the Daleks are flying through it and not coming out the other side, so it clearly goes somewhere.

The white Dalek prods us into the sphere. Peeta goes through first, and I follow, not sure what to expect. For a moment after stepping through, it looks like I am inside the sphere. I have a sense of an impossibly vast space. In the swirling mist, I swear I can see my father, working in the mines for a brief moment. But before I can look closer, Peeta pulls me forward, and I step out of the bridge and into what must be the Dalek ship.

I stand in horror at what I see aboard. If the few dozen that came through the bridge could cause so much death and destruction, I shudder to imagine what the thousands upon thousands of Daleks here could do. There are more than enough to wipe out all of Panem several times over.

I don't have much time to stand, because the white Dalek prods us forward. At first, I'm not sure where it's herding us. After a few minutes, we arrive at a large bridge. Or rather bridge-like platform. Below and above it is a vast chasm filled with thousands more Daleks. But it's what's at the end of the bridge that we're being led to.

I think it's just another Dalek, this one gold, until we near the end of the bridge. Not only does whatever it is look like a golden spider mixed with a Dalek, but it's huge, easily the size of twenty normal Daleks. "Hail the Dalek Emperor, the supreme life form in the Universe!" the white Dalek proclaims.

"Hail the Dalek Emperor!" the other Daleks chant. "Supreme life form!"

The Dalek Emperor, turns its attention to me and Peeta. Its eye alone is taller than I am. But I stand, refusing to show fear as it examines us. After a moment, it speaks in the same harsh way the others do, but its voice is much deeper. "You are companions of the Doctor?"

"Yes," Peeta says.

"Excellent," the Dalek Emperor rumbles. When it continues, it addresses the other Daleks. "Prepare for the Doctor's arrival. Today the Doctor dies and Daleks shall reign supreme!"

"Daleks shall reign supreme!" the Daleks chant. "Daleks shall reign supreme!"


	7. Who Needs the Doctor?

**Miss me?**

**Sorry it's been 4 months since the last update. I can't apologize enough for my laziness. That's really what it was. I honestly just didn't feel like writing, so I didn't. Of course, that means that you lot have to suffer for it. Especially with how that last chapter ended. Cliffies are bad. And that was a terrible place to decide to stop. So, I'm REALLY REALLY sorry. I hope you all can forgive me for my weakness.**

**I will admit, that's my greatest weakness. I can start a project with lots of energy and enthusiasm, but once I get to a certain point I just kind of give up. Which is bad. And I need to stop it.**

**But now, I'm back and I'll do my best to update regularly. Also: I now have a new series: Defenders of Earth. You should go check it out. There isn't much there yet since I just started, but it should be interesting.**

**Anyway, enough blather.**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

"Daleks are supreme!" The Daleks continue to chant.

Glancing around, they seem distracted. I don't know how long it will last, but if they aren't paying attention to us, it might be the opportunity we need to escape.

Slowly, I reach over and lightly grasp Peeta's arm. He glances at me, his eyebrows raised in an unspoken question. I slightly nod towards the exit. He glances at the Daleks before giving a slight nod. Slowly, we back towards the exit. Surprisingly, none of the Daleks seem to notice us sneaking away.

For fearsome killing machines, they don't seem to be very observant. Perhaps when you can swoop around raining death on anything that moves, you don't have to worry about paying attention to what's going on. Whatever it is, I'm not one to question an opportunity.

Peeta and I manage to slip out the doors without drawing any attention. "We need to get back to the bridge," I say. Peeta nods, and we both set off in opposite directions.

"Where are you going?" Peeta asks. "The portal is this way."

"No, it's this way," I insist. "We turned left to get in, so we have to turn right to get back."

"We turned left in the first hallway," Peeta replies calmly. "We turned right to get into this room."

But we don't have time to argue because a blue Dalek rounds a corner. It's eyestalk swivles towards us. It stares for a moment, seeming unsure of what to do. "Alert," it shrieks. "The prisoners have escaped!"

Alarms start blaring throughout the ship. I grab Peeta's hand and run down the hallway away from the Dalek. It fires at us, but we've already rounded a corner and the bolts slam into the wall in puffs of sparks and smoke.

I quickly lose what little sense of direction I had as we dash down the hallways, ocassionally needing to run down different hallways to avoid the Daleks. As we go further, I start to notice that the hallways curve.

"The ship is a circle!" I exclaim. This is both good and bad. It's good because we can check every door and eventually find the portal, bridge thing. It's bad because it's easy for the Daleks to trap us.

Peeta glances at the curving halls. "You're right," he says grimly.

Before I can decide what to do, I hear a Dalek fire. The bolt passes right by my ear. I feel the cackle of energy and my hair stands up as it passes. Then we're running again. But we don't make it far. Another group of Daleks are waiting for us just around the bend. I turn to run the other way, but another group is coming from behind.

Our only option is a nearby door. I drag Peeta through it. The room we enter must be the center of the ship because it's a dome. Above us, I can see what looks like a nebula. Inside the room are more Daleks, but they seem preoccupied and don't notice us.

Before we can move, the Daleks from the hallway are coming through the door. Peeta and I back away from them. While doing so, I pull out my sonic screwdriver in desperation and point it at what looks like a control panel of some sort. "Don't come any closer or I'll blow us all to pieces!" I exclaim.

The Daleks hesitate. "Sonic technology detected!" On of them squwaks. "Alert! The human female has targeted the self-destruct mechanism!"

I sigh internally with relief at the stroke of luck. "Back off," I order. The Daleks don't move, so I repeat myself more forcefully. This time, they slowly slide backwards. Not one of them looks away from me.

"Lower your screwdriver, or the human male will be exterminated!" One of them screeches.

I grip my screwdriver more firmly. "Kill him and you all die," I snap. "Now get off the bridge. All of you."

The Daleks don't move. They just glare at me.

"Now!" I shout.

"We... obey," one of the Daleks growls reluctantly. One by one, the Daleks leave. Soon only Peeta and I are left on the bridge. Satisfied they're all off, I point my screwdriver at the doors. _Lock them _I think as I activate the screwdriver. It whirs and I hear clicking coming from the doors.

"What are you thinking?" Peeta asks.

"Not sure yet," I admit, glancing around the bridge. "Honestly, I didn't think that would work."

There's a chirping sound from somewhere. I glance around to find the source, just as what looks like a floating screen appears. On it is the Dalek Emperor. "You have only bought yourself time, humans," it growls. "Eventually, you will grow weary, tired, and hungry. Then we shall exterminate you, then the Doctor, then the rest of the Universe. Daleks shall reign supreme!"

I ignore the Emperor, and instead glance around the bridge, planning my next move. But all the control consoles look the same, and I have no idea what most of them do. "Any ideas?" I ask, glancing to Peeta.

"We could send a distress signal and hope the Doctor picks it up," he says.

I frown. I dont know how well that would work, and it could bring more Daleks to us. I shake my head, as an idea comes to mind. "I have one idea," I say. "But I don't know if it will work. We might be able to set a timer on the self destruct. Tell the Daleks we'll shut it off if they take us back to the bridge."

Peeta shakes his head. "No guarantee it will work," he says. "They could kill us and turn the self-destruct off."

He's right, of course. I glance around the bridge again, this time paying more attention for any clues or hints as to what the various stations do. They all have various markings, but I can't make out what they mean. I huff in frustration, and glance at the ceiling, hoping the nebula outside will somehow give me an answer.

That's when I get an idea.

I remember from our misadventure on _Odyssey _that the nebula interfered with the ship's scanners. I wonder if it will do the same to the Daleks and their ship. Only one way to find out.

I activate my screwdriver, pointing it at the various consoles and focusing on moving the Dalek ship. I'm about to give up and reconsider my options when the ship jolts towards the nebula. I force myself not to smile triumphantly. We aren't out of this yet. And my plan might not work.

"Cease and desist your futile attempts to defeat us," the Emperor growls. "You will be exterminated, and the Daleks will reign supreme."

"Yeah?" I ask harshly. "Then why are you telling us to stop?"

That shuts the Emperor up long enough for me to fly the Dalek ship into the nebula. My assumption that it would interfere with the technology seems to prove accurate because the screen that displays the Emperor flickers and disappears. I fly the ship a little further into the nebula before I concentrate on destroying the controls. They spark wildy for a minute, and I can smell the burning wiring.

"Let's hope we can find the bridge, portal thing, before they can kill us," I comment dryly.

Before I open the doors, I point my screwdriver at the self-destruct mechanism. _Ten minutes_ I think, as I activate the screwdriver. I hope it's enough time. Otherwise, Peeta and I are going to be as dead as the Daleks.

As I open the doors, an alarm blares. "Alert," a Dalek screeches. "Self-destruct sequence activated. Time to destruction, six hundred rels."

Peeta and I dash out the door and into the waiting Daleks. They aim at us, but we don't stop as they open fire. Something about their aim seems off because bolts go flying in every direction. Some of the bolts even hit other Daleks. The struck Daleks are blown to pieces, sending sharpnel and bits of what looks like grey goo everywhere.

"Shields and aiming systems are compromised by the nebula!" One of them shrieks. "Cease fire!"

With our odds of sucess getting better, Peeta and I run faster. This time, I hold the screwdriver up, concentrating on finding the bridge and feeling somewhat foolish that I didn't think of using it before. It could have spared us most of this trouble.

As we run towards the bridge, the Daleks keep following us, but at least they aren't shooting anymore. Occasionally, one of them will take a shot at us, but they always miss.

Against all odds, we make it back to the portal room. I use the screwdriver to open the doors and Peeta and I dash inside.

But the Dalek Emperor is already waiting for us. It looms over us, glaring down with its eyestalk. "Your attempts to escape are futile," it growls. "Your predictability has doomed you. Foolish humans. Daleks are supreme!"

"You're going to burn," I snap back. "When this ship gets blown to pieces, you're all going to die."

In response, a massive claw-like apparatus swings out from the Emperor's plates. The claw grabs me, and pins me against the wall. Slowly, the pressure increases as the claw crushes the life out of me. I struggle, but to no avail. The Emperor swings its eyestalk to focus on me. "If we burn, you burn with us," the Emperor growls.

In the corner of my eye, I see Peeta dislodge a large metal stick from the wall. He hefts it before calling to the Emperor. "Hey, ugly."

The Emperor's eyestalk swerves to focus on Peeta. Before it can react, Peeta takes the metal stick and rams it as hard as he can into the giant eye. The lens cracks and the stick enters the eyestalk. The Emperor squalls and lets me go, the claw moving to dislodge the stick. I fall to the ground and the impact knocks the wind out of me.

"Twenty rels until self-destruct," a Dalek voice announces.

Peeta scoops me up and carries me through the bridge. Again, I'm aware of a white mist, then suddenly, we're back inside the palace at Disneyworld. As Peeta dashes out of the room, I see something following us out of the bridge. I'm unsure of what it is at first, but as it comes into focus, I realize what it is.

The Emperor has followed us.


	8. The Emperor

Peeta runs out of the castle as fast as he can. He stumbles on pieces of rubble, but manages to stay upright.

Once we're a safe distance away, safe being a relative term, he sits me down on a low wall as he catches his breath. By now I've got my breath back, though my sides still hurt where the Emperor crushed them. Just by probing my ribs, I suspect I've cracked at least one.

As I start to check for other injuries, a massive blue bolt explodes out from one of the castle's walls. Flaming debris rain down around us as the Emperor floats out of the opening. Its damaged eye-stalk turns towards us. More importantly, its massive cannon points at us too. "You," the Emperor growls. "You are the Doctor. Confirm! Confirm!"

As I slowly stand, Peeta responds. "The Doctor isn't here."

"Impossible," the Emperor hisses. "No human can defeat the Daleks. The female is the Doctor!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm human," I reply.

"You lie! No human can defeat the Daleks!" the Emperor squalls. "Exterminate!"

There's a loud roar, like thunder, as a massive blue bolt passes over our heads. It explodes against one of the nearby buildings. Flaming shrapnel and souvenirs rain around us as Peeta and I run for our lives. The Emperor howls in frustration as it fires at us again and again.

For a moment, I flash back to my first Games when the Game makers shot fireballs at me. Except these bolts are larger and far more powerful. One bolt hits the street no more than ten feet from me. The explosion throws me and Peeta to the ground. I grunt in pain, but grit my teeth and quickly clamber to my feet. I reach over to help Peeta up when I see that the explosion has left a massive crater my old house in the Seam could fit inside. I don't have time to examine it because the moment Peeta is on his feet, we're running again.

We don't make it far before another explosion throws us to the ground. I grimace as I stand, the pain from my ribs overwhelming the adrenaline. "We can't keep doing this," I say through gritted teeth. "He'll hit us eventually. Or we'll get severely injured and then he'll kill us."

"What do you suggest?" Peeta asks.

"Split up and get back to the TARDIS," I say as we start running again. "If I can get my bow, I might be able to at least blind it." It's what we'll do after that I'm not sure about.

"Exterminate!" the Emperor screams as it fires again. The bolt hits close behind us and the following explosion sends me tumbling through the air. I lose track of everything as the world spins wildly. I hit the ground and roll several times. I groan as I force myself to stand. I don't think I can take many close shots like that. This one alone has left me with scrapes and bruises all over.

I stagger away from the Emperor. I have difficulty supporting my weight and I suspect I've sprained an ankle. I look around for Peeta. I see him scramble to his feet and duck behind a pillar as the Emperor fires again. The Emperor doesn't seem interested in Peeta though. All of its attention seems to be on me. As I'm the one who defeated it, I assume that I'm the one it wants to kill first.

Satisfied Peeta is alright, I stagger down the road and the TARDIS comes into sight. I lose track of it as the Emperor fires at me again. The bolt explodes close enough behind me that I'm thrown forward violently. I hit the ground, hard.

Before I can stagger to my feet, the Emperor fires again. The ground beneath me explodes and again, I find myself in the air. This time I hit something in midair before crashing to the ground. I groan in pain as I force myself to sit up. My body feels like one big bruise. In addition to my ankle, I think I've sprained my wrist.

As I'm looking up, I realize it was the TARDIS that I hit in mid-flight. I huff in relief as my fumbling fingers grab the necklace that holds the TARDIS key. Once I manage to get a grip on the key, I use the door handles on the TARDIS to pull myself up. Leaning against the doors, I fumble as I try to get the key into the lock.

I can't get the stupid key in the lock. My hands are trembling too badly and I drop the key. It clinks on the ground. I reach down to pick it up, but the doors creak open, seemingly of their own accord. I stumble into the TARDIS. I look back to see the Emperor charging at me. "Exterminate!" it squalls.

I get a burst of adrenaline and forget my pain for a moment. I leap to my feet, doing my best to support my weight with my unsprained ankle. I pluck my bow from where it hangs on the hat rack before fumbling to pull an arrow out of the quiver that also hangs there.

Feeling more confident with my weapon in hand, I load an arrow before bringing my bow up and drawing back on the string. I aim at the damaged part of the Emperor's eye-stalk. It's the only weak point I can see, and I don't have time to look for another.

I focus on the oncoming Emperor and the world pulls away, leaving only me, my bow, and the glowing blue dot that approaches me. I shift my aim then release the arrow.

I am rewarded by the Emperor's scream of pain as the arrow enters the hole Peeta made in the lens. The blue light goes out and the Emperor veers, crashing into the entrance of the target shooting game/ride Peeta and I had gone on earlier.

I toss my quiver over my shoulder before loading another arrow in my bow. Slowly, I hobble towards the hole in the wall left by the Emperor. I glance in cautiously. Inside, the lights are still on, so I can easily see the Emperor leaning against the far wall. I move slowly towards the still figure, keeping my bow ready.

I hesitate as a hissing sound originates from the Emperor. What looks like steam pours out of cracks that appear along the Emperor's body. Is it poisonous gas? Some sort of acid that will eat away at my flesh? I start to back away when the cracks widen as the armor pulls open. I hesitate a moment before approaching, keeping an arrow aimed at the cavity.

Inside the shell of armor is the most disturbing, yet pitiful creature I've ever seen. It looks unlike any other living thing, either natural or mutt. It looks like a light purple, almost pink blob with a plethora of writhing tentacles. Stuck into it are cables, wires, and other unidentifiable pieces of equipment, all of which I assume are some sort of controls for the deadly machine. At the center of the blob is a single, yellow eye. The only emotion I see in it is hate.

"Doctor," it hisses.

"I told you, I'm not the Doctor," I reply.

"Only the Doctor can defeat the Daleks."

I shrug. "Apparently not," I reply coldly.

"If you are only human, how could you defeat me?" The Emperor seems to become angrier as it speaks. "I, who lead the Daleks against the Time Lords at the height of the Time War? I, who created the Nightmare Child, the exterminator of billions? I, who personally exterminated millions of the inferior species? How could you, a human, defeat me? It is impossible! I am the supreme of all Daleks!"

I feel disgust wash over me as the Emperor speaks. Fury propels my words as I imagine the billions, if the Emperor is to be believed, of deaths it has caused. "Because you underestimated me. It was your last mistake." I make sure to keep an arrow aimed at the vile little blob. "Your days of killing are over."

"You will not kill me," the Emperor says smugly. "You are the Doctor. You will show mercy."

"Wrong on both counts," I spit as I fire an arrow into the Emperor.

It screams for a moment. The yellow eye rolls wildly before it fixes on me again. The Emperor speaks one last time, its voice full of hatred. "Initiate self-destruct."

I have no time to react before the following explosion sends me hurtling through the air. The world spins wildly as I tumble out of control. My head hits something and everything goes dark.


	9. He's Up to Something

"Katniss?" I hear Peeta's voice as if it's far away.

I groan and slowly open my eyes. Everything is blurry, but I can tell something large is looming above me. For a moment, I'm worried the Emperor has come back to finish me off. That thought is quickly brushed away as my eyes focus. It's Peeta, kneeling next to me. His face is covered in small cuts and bruises. The area around his left eye is slightly puffy.

"What happened?" I try to say. But all that comes out is a dry croak. I swallow several times before trying again. "What happened?"

"You beat the Emperor," Peeta replies.

"It's a bit difficult to forget that," I grumble, trying to sit up. Big mistake.

The moment I raise my head, the world spins violently and I'm forced to lie back down. I feel nauseous, but it passes after I close my eyes.

"Are you alright?" I can hear the concern in Peeta's voice.

"No," I huff in irritation. "I'm dizzy, I'm bruised everywhere, and I'm fairly sure I've sprained an ankle and a wrist. You?" I open my eyes again.

Peeta shrugs. "Just bruised and cut up. Otherwise I think I'm fine."

I try to sit up again, but more slowly this time. I manage it, but I'm still feeling woozy so I shift myself so I can lean against a pillar. Peeta sits next to me. I lean my head against his shoulder and let the exhaustion wash over me. "I can't believe we survived that," I mumble.

"Compared to the Games, this was a piece of cake," Peeta retorts.

I shudder. "Could you imagine the Games with them?"

"I don't think any of the tributes would survive," Peeta says. "But you've got to admit, it's better than the Weeping Angels."

"I'll take a Dalek any day," I say.

"Agreed."

We sit for a moment, not wanting to move and aggravate our injuries. Finally, we decide to get back on the TARDIS. We don't get up before I hear something crunching through the rubble. I glance towards the source. Out of the darkness steps the Doctor and the woman, River if I remember her name correctly.

The Doctor looks horrified as he looks around at the destruction. River seems disturbed by it, but not to the same degree. The Doctor spots us and turns, heading right towards us.

For once, he doesn't look happy to see us.

"I tell you two to behave and stay out of trouble," The Doctor says. His hands wave around at the destruction. "But no, I leave for twelve hours and what happens? You blow up half of Disneyworld!"

"You should be thanking us," I retort, my anger flaring up. "It would have been worse if we didn't stop the Daleks."

The Doctor seems dumbfounded for a moment. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, before speaking. He seems to struggle with each word. "You... defeated the Daleks?"

I nod towards the ruins of the target shooting ride. "What's left of the Emperor is in there. Or was. He self-destructed. Oh, and that was after we blew up a ship full of Daleks."

The Doctor glances at the gaping opening, but doesn't move towards it. He seems unsure of what to say.

It's River who speaks up. "Not many of his companions have defeated the Daleks alone, let alone an Emperor. How did you do it?"

Peeta and I briefly explain what occurred. When I mention the bridge, a dark expression crosses the Doctor's face.

"Where's the bridge?" The Doctor asks.

Wearily, I raise my arm and point at the castle.

"Stay here," the Doctor orders.

As if Peeta and I were going anywhere.

River and the Doctor disappear inside the castle for several minutes. When they return, The Doctor looks worried.

"Who's making these bridges?" He asks no one in particular. "And why? It doesn't make any sense. Unless someone is trying to destroy the Universe."

"Plenty of beings have tried to destroy the Universe dear," River replies chidingly.

"Yes, but this is different," The Doctor insists. "Whoever is doing this won't survive the resulting collapse of reality."

"I'm sure Cuing is behind it," I say. The Doctor turns towards me. "Or at least knows who is. He's always been one step ahead of us and usually when he shows up, there's a bridge." I gesture at the TARDIS. "He did have a weapon that allowed him to damage the TARDIS, which you said was unusual. If he can do that, maybe he's the one making the bridges."

The Doctor frowns contemplatively for a moment. He turns to River. "What do you know of The Beloved Ken Cuing?" he asks.

"I know plenty," she replies. The Doctor stares at her expectantly. "Spoilers," she says.

I decide I don't particularly care for River. "If you know, why don't you tell us?" I demand.

River kneels to look me in the eye. "I know you don't trust me," she says.

"You're right," I snap. "I don't."

River continues as if I've said nothing. "But what you have to realize is that my past is your future. If I interfere it could have very serious consequences for us all. What I know about Cuing, I learned from you. You have to learn what that is for yourselves."

She stands again. "But I will tell you this: there isn't anything to learn here."

"Then where do we go?" The Doctor asks.

"The same place you always go, sweetie," River replies. "Wherever the TARDIS takes you."


End file.
